Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 503 - 497: Surging 2

Chapter 503: Chapter 497: Surging 2

At this moment, Lin Xin was leisurely leaning against the ship’s railing, a position he favored for its relaxation and comfort. It provided his senses, which had just endured a painful ordeal, with a chance to recover and rest.

As he watched the young lad hurry over as agreed, Lin Xin couldn’t help but smile slightly and raised a finger.

"My three conditions, I’ll tell you now.

First, like the wealthy youths you belong to, everyone has their most valuable possessions. Surely, you are no exception. So, my first condition is..."

He smiled mysteriously.

"Give me the most precious thing you possess, as payment for the invaluable knowledge I will impart to you.

Are you willing?"

The young master was taken aback. For a moment, he doubted whether the person before him truly possessed genuine knowledge and skills, but his instincts still persuaded him to suppress this flicker of uncertainty. Since birth, his instincts had never been wrong.

After hesitating, he pulled out an oval jade pendant from his chest, pitch-black in color with a diamond-shaped point at the center.

"This is the most precious thing I have on me, as well as the most valuable treasure I own."

He handed the black jade directly to Lin Xin.

"Oh? You’re handing it over to me just like that?" Lin Xin was also taken aback, "Aren’t you worried that I’m a fraud?"

"No matter how important this item is, it’s just an external possession. If I can exchange some worldly possessions for a suitable mentor, then it’s a bargain. On the other hand, even if I lose it, I can consider it as buying a lesson."

Sima Nanjiu, despite his young age, displayed an astonishing boldness.

Lin Xin received the black jade and casually touched it, immediately realizing its value; indeed, it was no ordinary treasure. In certain places, it could be considered priceless...

"What about the second condition?"

Sima Nanjiu continued to inquire.

Lin Xin turned his back to him. His long black hair was blown by the wind yet possessed no hint of disorder, only a carefree aura.

"The second condition... you haven’t started your cultivation practice yet, have you?"

"Sir, your insight is extraordinary." Sima Nanjiu immediately acknowledged with a nod of approval.

"The second condition is talent." Lin Xin extended his hand, lightly placing it on top of Sima Nanjiu’s head, and in an instant, a silent, traceless Demonic Qi entered his body, swiftly circulating before returning to Lin Xin’s hand.

"Talent... qualifies." Even Lin Xin couldn’t help but reveal a hint of surprise in his eyes at that moment.

Sima Nanjiu truly lived up to his remarkably boastful nature; his talent was frighteningly good, making him the second youngster Lin Xin had encountered with exceptional traits like Nan Shunqing.

In the mysterious workings of fate, encountering two such individuals one after another was it mere coincidence, or was there some other reason...?

An involuntary thought flickered through his mind.

"So, let’s move on to the third condition. With your current strength and stamina, hold this posture. Right here on the deck, until tomorrow evening."

Lin Xin took out a small black statue, which depicted a human figure standing up, except the figure’s stance was somewhat peculiar.

Sima Nanjiu too was dumbfounded; he was only five years old, and he was expected to hold this position from now until tomorrow evening?

Was this some kind of joke?

But Lin Xin clearly had no intention of joking.

"That is the third condition, are you willing?"

Sima Nanjiu was stunned, unsure of how to reply.

This choice, if wrong, could inflict significant harm on his body.

Should he gamble or not?

By now, Lin Xin had almost confirmed that the youngster along with his two sisters were likely the disciples on a wandering trial heading for the Shape-shifting Cave. Even if they weren’t, they were probably connected to the Forbidden Land.

The true trial was presumably for the young man’s two elder sisters or someone close to them, as they evidently possessed a strong presence of Demonic Qi.

"Think it over carefully, but don’t take too long. If you take longer than half an hour, then return by yourself, and don’t come looking for me again." Lin Xin turned around and left without another glance.

At this point, if the youngster could really do it, then what did it matter if he took him on?

As Lin Xin reached the cabin’s passageway, he came face-to-face with the two sisters Sima Kongyan.

Both were frowning as they stared at him.

"The benefits of the Sima Family aren’t so easily taken advantage of," Sima Kongyan said coldly. Disdain shone in her eyes as she looked at Lin Xin.

He didn’t engage with the two sisters; whether or not he accepted Sima Nanjiu was solely between him and the boy. Whatever the Sima Family thought was of no concern to him.

All he cared about was Sima Nanjiu alone, nothing more.

*******************

The next day.

One by one, the crew members slowly ascended to the deck, each taking up their respective posts.

However, someone inadvertently noticed a figure still standing at the stern.

A small, not so tall youngster stood in a somewhat awkward and unsightly position on the deck, unmoving.

Gradually, more and more people gathered on the deck.

Some hadn’t initially intended to come up, but upon hearing noises, they too came up to see what was happening.

After maintaining that strange posture all the way until dawn, Sima Nanjiu’s body had already become stiff.

Tired, hungry, drowsy, and thirsty.

As the sky began to lighten, he saw more and more people on the deck, most of whom looked at him as if watching a monkey show.

A sense of humiliation welled up within him. The feeling of being watched and pointed at...

"Little brother!"

His two sisters also rushed out. Seeing him standing alone on the deck in such a peculiar posture, they were immediately incensed.

"I’m going to teach that bookish fool a lesson!" Sima Kongyan was furious.

"No!"

Sima Nanjiu hastily spoke out.

"Little brother! How can you be so naïve?!" Another elder sister, Sima Qing, was also stomping her feet in frustration.

"Since I have promised someone, I must follow through!"

Sima Nanjiu said calmly.

Suddenly, the crowd around him, initially amused, began to lose their interest upon hearing his words.

Some understood, some did not, but those who stood by their promises deserved respect, not disrespect.

"Such a person is a real man; a man should not be made fun of."

A burly man with a gruff voice said, "Alright, alright, disperse now! What’s there to look at, a monkey show? Disperse!"

He took the initiative to disperse the onlookers. The guards of the Sima Family also helped to disperse the crowd.

No matter how the two elder sisters tried to persuade him at Sima Nanjiu’s side, it was in vain; the youngster remained in his stance, unmovable.

They went to find Lin Xin, but even after knocking on the door, there was no response.

Daylight gradually approached noon.

The two sisters felt sorry for their little brother and fed him some food and drink.

Sima Nanjiu forced himself to persist until the afternoon, his entire legs had already lost sensation, only feeling as if he was supporting two limp pieces of wood.

By evening, he finally collapsed to the ground, the hour Lin Xin specified had arrived.

The two sisters held him and went straight to Lin Xin’s room.

But they discovered that the room was already empty, not even a piece of clothing was left behind.

"He’s a swindler! Do you see that now?" Sima Kongyan trembled with rage.

"He made little Ji hold on for a whole day and night!" Sima Qing’s pretty face also turned pale.

The little guy looked at the empty room, feeling disappointed and on the verge of tears. But his instincts told him that man was not a swindler. He wanted to argue, but the facts were before his eyes, leaving him no room for excuses.

"I still refuse to believe that gentleman is a swindler." He thought for a long time, suppressed his emotions, and in the end, shook his head in denial.

Even though he was only five years old, he was already a famous prodigy far and wide. If there truly were such a thing as one born with knowledge, it would undoubtedly be him.

For such a genius, everyone would show the utmost respect, not treating him as a usual child.

Although he was still deemed a five-year-old, he was not an ordinary one.

Sima Nanjiu did not let everyone down, acting maturely beyond his years, and seldom made mistakes.

But this time, he seemed to have truly erred.

Bang!!

"Don’t let me catch him! Otherwise, I will make him suffer a thousand lashes to quell my hatred! This swindler!"

Sima Kongyan furiously chopped his blade on the door frame, breathing heavily.

"It’s only little brother who is naïve. In this world, people’s hearts are treacherous; appearances can often blind one’s eyes," Sima Qing sighed.

"Never mind, since we have arrived, let’s get off the boat quickly and head to the Forbidden Land. If we pass by the Shape-shifting Cave and don’t greet our cousin, we can’t justify it."

"Yes, let’s disembark first."

Sima Kongyan reluctantly glared fiercely at Lin Xin’s bed, then ordered the servants and guards to pack up the luggage.

******************

Stellar nebulae swirled slowly in the sky.

Beneath, the ground spread with yellow sand dunes.

Lin Xin stood on top of one of the dunes, gazing at the distant giant Buddha statue of the temple.

The prominent lotus-shaped giant Buddha, as if it were at arm’s reach, was right before his eyes.

Monks and sinners from the Shape-shifting Cave were scattered across the sand dunes ahead, visible like ants, constantly excavating the tough sands for goldstone ore.

Five conspicuous stone pillars formed a grand formation, completely swallowing and concealing everything around it, not a wisp of Spiritual Energy or demonic Qi could escape.

Originally, Lin Xin planned to sneak in quietly, find the relics, and leave immediately, but a strong intuition told him that some kind of trap was laid out here, waiting for him to walk right into it.

The feeling was so strong, the malice was so prevalent that it directed him towards the specific location; he almost didn’t need to recognize it, following the malice as it flew, led him straight to the Forbidden Land of Shape-shifting Cave in the Outer Regions.

As soon as he arrived, not only did he detect the other party.

The other side also discovered him as if resonating.

This time, the opponent also had a beast-like keen intuition.

Separated by hundreds of miles.

Both sides almost sensed each other’s presence as soon as they stood firm.

From both sides, immense presences faced each other from afar, Lin Xin’s expression was serene and undisturbed.

"Soul Capturing Great Formation, and two True Monarchs awaiting. Shape-shifting Cave is well-informed, I thought I had been sufficiently discreet."

From the direction of the Evil God Temple, the aura of the formation became denser, and the spatial fluctuations grew more intense, obviously, they were ready to take action at any moment.

Countless runes flickered with white light, emerging from the sandy ground and connecting into a vast display, a magnificent sight.

Lin Xin gently closed his eyes, and his hair behind him quickly turned blood red.

"No one can stop me, not even the Shape-shifting Cave..."

After a moment, he reopened his eyes and took a deep breath.

Hiss...

Like a massive beast inhaling and exhaling.

Countless invisible air streams were crazily sucked into his mouth, just a mere breath was enough to nearly vacuum the surrounding space.

Large amounts of air flowed into his body, causing whirlpools of air resembling dark black to rise everywhere across the sand dunes, eerie and inexplicable.